Support for people on active monitoring for lymphoma

If you are diagnosed with low-grade (slow-growing) non-Hodgkin lymphoma and don't have significant symptoms you may not need treatment straightaway. Instead you will be on active monitoring (also referred to as watch and wait or active surveillance) which involves both you and your medical team looking out for changes in your symptoms or new symptoms.

Active monitoring helps you avoid unnecessary treatment, but it can be difficult to accept that you are not having treatment to get rid of your lymphoma. The uncertainty of it can be very stressful and you are likely to experience a mix of emotions.

We've produced a new booklet to help you understand what to expect on active monitoring, the signs and symptoms to look out for, tips on coping and how to continue living your life and finding a 'new normal'.

We also have information available online and a series of films with people sharing their experiences of what active monitoring has meant for them. 

The mental strain of having a diagnosis and not being treated is massive...a really readable and useful booklet to keep referring back to is reassuring

Charlotte Bloodworth, Clinical Nurse Specialist

Charlotte Bloodworth, Clinical Nurse Specialist at Cardiff and the Vale University Health Board who assisted us with the development of the booklet said:

'This information is so valuable as people living with lymphoma on active monitoring are often not seen very often in clinics, but the mental strain of having a diagnosis and not being treated is massive. Having a really readable and useful booklet to keep referring back to is reassuring. It deals with issues that really affect the watchful waiting group and concentrates on ways to cope.' 

Read more about active monitoring, download the new booklet or order a copy today

And take a look at the hashtag #ActiveMonitoringTip on Twitter for tips to help you if you’re on active monitoring for lymphoma